U.S. Customs system shutdown causes major delays at airports nationwide

Passengers wait in line to use the Automated Passport Control Kiosks set up for international travelers arriving at Miami International Airport on March 4, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)

Travelers around the country are facing major delays at airports after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s computer system went down nationwide Friday.

“CBP is experiencing a temporary outage with its processing systems at various air ports of entry & is taking immediate action to address the technology disruption,” the agency tweeted Friday. “CBP officers continue to process international travelers using alternative procedures until systems are back online.”

John F. Kennedy International Airport confirmed on Twitter that they are affected by CBP’s “system shutdown nationwide,” requiring agents to process travelers manually until the computers come back online. 

Dulles International Airport is also experiencing delays, Micah Lillard, a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, confirmed to USA TODAY . 

“We learned at about 3:30 p.m. EDT that Customs and Border Protection was experiencing a nationwide computer issue affecting their ability to process arriving international passengers, including at Dulles,” Lillard said in a statement. 

Los Angeles International Airport shared a similar advisory to passengers: “@CBP systems are experiencing an issue which appears to be impacting multiple airports including LAX. Officers are processing passengers manually so please check with your airline for the latest status of any flight impacts. More details as they become available.”

LAX said it’s is deploying a team to “help direct guests and provide other assistance” in the customs area. 

CBP did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.  

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Frustrated passengers shared footage of massive crowds stalled in the customs lines on social media.

“Landed at JFK and machines are down at customs check point…I’m in the global entry line and the regular line has several hundred if not thousands in it,” @Baird_S said. 

User @BradPierce7 added, “JFK Airport Customs. Great work.”

User @PatriotAndiH said she’s been waiting at Dulles for “two hours and counting!”

“Stuck at Dulles customs system down,” she added. “All US passport holders just waiting…. What happened to the old fashioned stamp?”

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